Tartarus Isnt Free
by FlameAshWood
Summary: Re-write of Tartarus storyline. Percy and Annabeth fall into Tartarus but nobody leaves Tartarus whole. How will Percy handle Tartarus on his own when everything has collapsed around him leaving him alone in a world of darkness and spite. Rated T for possible light gore.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: Hey anybody. I just spent the entire Christmas break reading Percy Jackson** **fan-fics and decided to create my own. This is my 2nd fiction story anywhere so please review. I want feedback! Also, on to the story, this is a re-write of the Tartarus storyline and I'm not 100% fluent on the real backstory of the other books so I may mix something up here and there. Don't know how many chapters yet but I hope to continue. Anyway, Enjoy! I don't own Percy Jackson**

Falling…

Percy couldn't tell how long they had been falling but he could feel the wind becoming harsher as it turned from a cushion of air to what felt like tiny daggers cutting into his face. It also became warmer and began to smell acrid and faintly liking rotten eggs.

Just as he was about to close his eyes again a dim red light became visible.

As Percy turned his head to see clearer he felt Annabeth do the same. What he saw underneath them turned his blood cold and he could feel the pinpricks of fear all through his spine. They were unimaginably high up and plummeting fast to what he could only guess to be a painful end.

 _So this is how it's going to end. After all I've done to put monsters back into Tartarus, I'm going to end up here in my final moments. Fitting I suppose…_

Percy hugged Annabeth closer and spoke into her ear. "I love you… I love you…" as a single tear flew off of his face in the wind.

Still looking down Annabeth yelled back. "Percy! The river!" with a purpose in her voice that made up for Percy's lack thereof.

Percy turned to see a river that wound around for who knows how long and understood her point. With no time to doubt the implications Percy thrust out his right hand with his left still firmly wrapped around Annabeth and closed his eyes. For a split second he couldn't feel anything and then it was as if his mind was swirling in a sea of pity and self doubt. He began to close his hand but then Annabeth squeezed him even closer and he remember what he was doing giving a great shout and feeling that pull in the pit of his stomach as a wall of murky water shot towards them.

Percy hit the water first and lost his grip on Annabeth but he sent one last burst of energy towards her to keep her afloat. Percy turned towards the surface from the bottom but then began to hear voices of sorrow and misery, the same voices he had in his head when he controlled the water.

 _You should just sink. You let Annabeth fall into Tartarus. A demigod of the big three, but you aren't that powerful. You couldn't even climb over a simple ledge._

The voices continued as he slowly made his way to the surface and gradually he began to agree with them.

Annabeth spotted Percy just underwater right as she began to hear the voices telling her all sorts of lies.

 _Some architect, you haven't even completed a single project yet. You dragged Percy down here and now he's going to die too. Your pride caused this and nothing else._

Annabeth tried her best to brush off the comments as they came, her pride deflecting some of the lies as false. Annabeth could see percy still swimming towards her but then he began to falter and slow down. She knew he was hearing this too and was beginning to give in.

Percy saw Annabeth plunge all the way underwater and became confused. _Why would she come to save me? This is all my fault._ Annabeth grabbed him by the arm and began to haul him to shore as best she could. Something inside Percy told him that he should help so he made half hearted efforts to pull themselves to the surface.

As the two broke the surface of the river Annabeth scanned the horizon for the shore and spotted it about three yards away. As she began pulling them to shore she heard Percy behind her moaning "This is hopeless. We can't make it." Annabeth could feel him slipping and realized with a jolt that she couldn't make it the last two yards without his help. Kicking harder she turned to Percy and spoke straight to his eyes lost in sadness "Percy, I need you to swim for me. Can you do that? We can make this." Percy just looked back at her with the same blank look but she could feel the current pulling them to shore. _Maybe there is still a part of him in there even now._ She thought.

Reaching the shore Annabeth dragged the two of them until their feet were just out of the water and layed down. Annabeth's brain began to work in overtime as Percy came to. _Okay. I need a plan._ She thought.

 _stock and assess the situation:_

 _We've fallen, into Tartarus, and are still alive_

 _My ankle is extremely raw and difficult to walk on_

 _We only have Riptide as a weapon and the clothes on our backs_

 _on a course of action:_

 _We need to get to the Doors of Death_

 _Nico promised Percy that the Seven would be waiting there_

 _We need to get there fast without any food or water to speak of_

 _the plan into action..._

 _By this point Percy was beginning to come around and take stock of the situation as well. He saw Annabeth deep in thought and immediately leaned over to her. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders bringing the two close and gave her a hug. He leaned back and gave her a kiss and whispered, "_ Thank you." and then louder "Ironic isn't it? A daughter of Athena just saved a son of Poseidon from drowning." His crooked smile touched his lips as he said the last part.

Looking him straight in the eyes Annabeth said "Are you sure that you aren't concussed? We're in the middle of The Pit and you're cracking jokes?" with a wink and a slight smile.

Percy looked back at her with his grin fading away, "So what are we going to do now?"

Annabeth looked back with a frown "We're going to get out of Tartarus."

 **AN (Hope you enjoyed and please review. Criticism accepted/desired.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks to everybody who read this and my first subscribers. I know that I'm not very good so it means a lot that someone thinks I'm half decent. Hope you enjoy. See you soon. Also I forgot this last time. I don't own Percy Jackson(no duh)**

Percy looked at Annabeth and saw a determined look. He knew she meant it. They were getting out of Tartarus. Looking out in any direction Percy saw only red and barren wasteland covered in the sharp glasslike dirt or gravel. Looking back at Annabeth, Percy asked, "Where do we go from here?"

"We need to get to higher ground so we can find our way first"

Percy stood up first shakily before he helped Annabeth up. Although she didn't say so, Percy could tell that Annabeth's leg ankle was bothering her as she put more weight on his shoulder for assistance. Beyond this however, climbing the hill was relatively easy and they got to the top in a matter of minutes. Looking around them the two saw the River Cocytus that they had just fallen into as well as another river that stood out of the landscape in its astounding brightness and this was the River Phlegethon. For the first time since they had fallen the pair also got a clear view of where they were.

They were in Tartarus. It was dark, the shadows seemed to swim and writhe themselves in pain, the ground was sharp, the roof was higher than could even be fathomed, and the air itself hurt to breathe. The two looked at each other if only to prove that their eyesight wasn't fooling them and what they saw was real.

A shriek erupted behind them as Arachne lunged up the hill. As Percy backed up, pulling Riptide out in the process, he and Annabeth's feet intertwined and they fell to the ground with a jarring thud. Riptide bounced out of Percy's hand as a shard of the ground jabbed his hand. Arachne just stood there laughing.

"Did you really think that you could just kill me that easily? You 'heros' are always so confident and naive!"

"We may not have killed you, but we won! The Athena Parthenos is safe and you are in Tartarus!" Yelled Percy.

Arachne screamed as she lunged at Percy. Rolling to his right, Percy pushed Annabeth away and grabbed Riptide. Arachne was still descending on Percy fast but as he rolled over he uncapped Riptide and it extended straight through Arachne. A mixture of dust and black blood slid down the blade and covered Percy's arm as Arachne disintegrated with a pitiful cry.

As Percy lay on the ground catching his breath he heard a muffled crying only a few feat away.

Jumping to his feet Percy yelled "Annabeth!" as he searched to find her. About three feet down the hill Annabeth lay clutching her ankle and it had clearly begun to bleed.

"What happened?" Percy cried

"When Arachne attacked, she stepped on my leg as I tried to slid away and this ground cut into my ankle." Annabeth replied.

Percy reached down towards Annabeth and grabbed her hand, helping her to her remaining good foot. Annabeth draped her arm over Percy's shoulder again.

"We should probably follow one of the rivers. They have to come from somewhere." Annabeth reasoned.

"Which one? Flip a coin?"

"No Seaweed brain we need to pick the right one." Annabeth said with slight amusement in her voice.

Racking her brain for any knowledge of Rivers of the Underworld Annabeth tried to think of anything to help them. Then she remembered that the River Phlegethon kept those alive in Tartarus to be tortured. _If that is so then I imagine most important things will be along the river._

"We need to follow the Phlegethon." Annabeth said in a raspy voice

"The Phlemarathon?" Percy mused

Percy took a few steps down the hill towards the river before Annabeth found a rhythm to keep pace. Then they were on a move with a purpose.

It may have been a half an hour or it may have been a day, nobody was to say for sure, but they were now closer to the river than before. They had also been breathing heavily for the entire time and their breathing had become coarse and unsteady.

Annabeth turned towards Percy and rasped "We need to stop."

Percy immediately stopped and set Annabeth down, secretly grateful for the release.

"The door better be close or we'll be dead long before we reach them" Commented Percy in a more solemn manner than usual.

"I think we need to drink from the river…" Annabeth responded before she was taken over by a dry coughing fit.

"You can't be serious! It's made of fire! How are we supposed to keep from dying first?"

"I don't know but we need to try." Annabeth responded before falling to the ground in front of the river and immediately thrusting her hands into it. Percy jumped towards her immediately but she didn't seem to ve in distress so he backed off. She didn't feel like her hands had melted like she expected but instead felt that cold feeling when something is too hot to fully comprehend. As she held her hands up to her face Annabeth was nearly blinded by the brightness of the liquid fire so close. She immediately leaned her head back and poured the fire down her throat. Even though it felt like drinking tea that is 100* too hot she immediately felt somewhat better in that her ankle now throbbed dully and her voice wasn't raspy.

"Hey, Percy it's okay to drink. It'll hurt like Hades but I feel better now."

Without further prompting, Percy shoved his hands into the fire and took a drink. As he did so his eyes lit up with fire that reminded Annabeth of Ares.

"Well that was terrible but at least we can get moving again. How is your ankle feeling?" Percy stated

"My ankle is okay now but I still may need help" Annabeth gave a sheepish look but Percy only nodded. The two both knew that she didn't still need help but neither one wanted to relinquish some grasp on the other for fear that they will be left alone or the other will disappear.

As Percy began to help Annabeth up a familiar hissing sound was heard on the other side of the hill they were resting on.

"Crap!" hissed Percy through his teeth as he realized what the sound was. It was the Empousa and they could clearly hear Kelly arguing in the middle of them.

 _We need to go the other way!_

 _No it's this way I know it!_

 _Well we wouldn't have to be walking here if it wasn't for you!_

Percy immediately laid back down and Annabeth joined him as the two remained perfectly still. Unfortunately the loose ground decided to give way and a small pile of glass like shards tumbled down the hill making a clatter as they rolled.

Immediately the arguing stopped. Silence filled the void for seconds and then minutes.

A loud shriek was was heard by the two from seemingly every direction as the Empousa descended on them and formed a circle.

"Percy Jackson. I have been wanting to kill you but this is just a treat! You coming to me, how helpful." Kelly gloated, still wearing her ripped cheerleader's uniform. "And you brought a friend for my _friends_." She said lasting slightly longer on the last word. "I would give you a painless death but i don't want to." she said right before the circle closed on the two like a noose.

Pulling Riptide out faster than ever before and uncapping it Percy sliced one Empousa across the chest and speared another. He whirled and brought his blade through the neck of another showering the are in gold dust. Something felt wrong though.

"PERCY!" shouted Annabeth as she was grabbed from behind. She was defenseless and no match for the strength of this Empousa.

Percy froze mid swing and turned towards her scream. "ANNABETH!" He screamed as the Empousa holding Annabeth raked her finger across her neck causing blood to fall faster than it should have as Annabeth's face turned white and she whispered "percy…" falling to the ground with a resounding thud.

Time seemed to stop for Percy as he watched her fall to the ground. _This can't be happening. I just got her back and followed her into Tartarus for Hades sake!_

Percy let out a roar as he charged towards the Empousa that had just been holding Annabeth moments earlier and threw his sword into the ground at her feet. Running towards her the ground began to rumble gently at first but it was increasing. While the other empousa were laughing she only had fear in her eyes as the son of Poseidon charged at her. Jumping into the air Percy grabbed her by the neck and followed her to the ground landing a knee on her chest and a hand on her throat. As they hit the ground a massive shockwave rolled out from under them with Percy in the center of it all. While the other Empousa were knocked to the ground Percy dug his hand into the neck of the one he sat on even more. Tears began to slide down his face and blur his vision but nonetheless he stood up while everyone else was still finding their footing and, picking his sword out of the ground, looked back at the empousa struggling for breath on the ground. "You don't deserve it this good." he whispered grimly as he drive Riptide through her heart. The remaining empousa and Kelly shook in fear of such raw power and sprinted away in hopes of survival.

Turning back to Annabeth percy fell to his knees. Dragging himself towards Annabeth, Percy looked at her face, still contorted in a scream that could never be heard through her torn esophagus. Blood had begun to pool around her but Percy didn't notice. He just lay closer to her with his forehead on hers and tears running down his eyes that begun to fall on her face. He kissed her forehead whispering her name all the time but there was no response. All strength that had remained failed him as he fell next to her, hugging her close.

The ground shook in sync with the son of Poseidon's sobs for his one and only love. Percy's mind was so full with grief for the daughter of Athena that he could only think of one thing in his sadness.

Alone.

 **AN: I really don't know how much of my point got across here but I** **know that I brought myself to tears here. So anyways please do leave a review again. Any feedback or comments are appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

**(AN) Hey there. I am sorry for not updating in a while but at first I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested and then I got caught up in Semester exams. I just recently got two more subscribers to this story so I decided that I would return and see if there was interest. The POV in this chapter is different than in the other two because I had been trying to get POV right since the beginning and I felt that while Percy was alone would be the best to do it.**

I don't know how long it had been. It could have been minutes or hours or days. Below me lay the love of my life; beneath me was my only connection to a world outside of Tartarus, a world I had left for her.

"Annabeth…" I breathed though it pained me just to hear her name out loud. My throat felt raw as if I had been screaming recently and perhaps I had been, any time after her… death… was a blur now.

 _I am stuck in Tartarus, the only person I ever loved is dead, and Oh Gods Annabeth!_ The familiar thought re-entered my head as I looked back at her pale face covered in my tears. _This can't be real… What do I do now. Do I leave or do I just die…_

I have never been one to give up but this was literally and figuratively the lowest point in my life.

" _Run Seaweed Brain."_

"Who said that!" I yelled as I whipped back to look around me.

" _You need to live and you need to get out of here Seaweed Brain."_

There it was again! Wait… Seaweed Brain? I whipped my head around to look at Annabeth's body. OH it hurt to see her like that but I had to know!

"Annabeth?" I said, my voice barely a whisper.

" _I'm gone Percy, but you need to survive. Do it for me. I can't be the cause of this."_

"This wasn't your fault. I followed you in and then couldn't even protect you against some monsters!"

" _It's not your fault either."_

Now I could see Annabeth standing there right in front of me. She was wearing her shorts and CBH T-shirt like she was still at camp. Her knife was strapped on to her belt where she always kept it with a hand resting there out of habit. She was perfect. Like… she wasn't dead… I knew I must be seeing things but I didn't question it for fear of Annabeth leaving me again.

" _You need to get out of here for the both of us. You need to help the others. Go save the world again."_

"Annabeth. I just want to die. You are my life. What am I even supposed to do with you gone?"

" _I'm going to miss you too but I'll be waiting for you when it's your time to join me but that is not now. Now you need to save everyone else from deaths that you could have helped prevent."_

I knew it was true. I knew I was being selfish, but she was gone. _How could I keep going without her? I don't know but she wants me to do this. She said she'll be waiting for me. I can't just disregard everyone else's lives for my own can I? The answer is no._ I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"Fine. I'll go but you can't leave me ever. That's the deal."

" _I would never leave you Seaweed Brain."_

Looking back at Annabeth's body I felt some of the ease I had been building up while talking to the Annabeth in front of me leave my body. I couldn't just leave her. She deserved better than this.

I walked over and knelt down next to her. Reaching under her legs and arms I placed her on my shoulders. _I'm gonna get you home. That's a promise._

Looking around me I regained my bearings on the River Phlegethon. She had said this is the path to follow so that is what I shall do. As I began walking along the banks I glanced to me left to see the other Annabeth walking next to me. Something wasn't right though. When she took a step her shoulders didn't shake with the jarring steps of the sharp ground, instead she seemed to be walking across a cloud like she never touched the ground properly. I looked down at her feet and saw that her steps didn't even line up with the ground correctly with her feet sliding a little with each step.

 _Why did I have to be curious?_ She had looked so real and I had wanted her to be there so badly that I had just accepted it. What was she then? A ghost, a lie, or had I imagined her? When I began to sort through my memories I realized that all of the best ones were with her and she looked just like that. _I imagined her…_ It hit me hard and I stopped dead in my tracks. _If this is really just me then am I following her wishes or my own musings?_ No. I realized that it hadn't just been me. This is what she would have wanted. _I'm doing the right thing. This is for her._ If nothing else I realized that I had to return her body to the proper world.

I looked back to my left and the other Annabeth was not longer there but just a light shadow of her. I was on my own again but this time I had a purpose. I resumed my walking with a simple thought: _I'll get you home Wise Girl."_

I don't know how long I had been walking but I was beginning to get tired and my lungs had begun to hurt again. _I need to stop at the river again._

As I leaned towards the glowing river of fire a could have sworn that I saw blond hair bouncing away as Annabeth looked back at me from the fire. I plunged my hands in and drank as I felt my throat constrict, but I had no more tears to cry in me.

Leaning back up from the river a hear a laugh behind me. For a moment I just sat still not caring who or what it may have been. There was even a little part of me that just wished they would kill me now. That was until I heard them talking.

"Hey look who it is girls! It's Percy Jackson and how sad… his dead waste of a girlfriend. I think we could have a little fun killing him now"

 _Kelly._ With that thought alone my vision turned red and I shot to me feet and turned around at the same time. A few of the other Empousa cowered just a little at my face which was set in what I can only imagine to be a determined grimace.

"Oh, don't worry girls." Kelly began, "He's too saaad to do anything about us right now. He's just a weak little boy that lost his girlfriend. He can't hurt us."

My vision had turned a dark red and there was only one though on my head: _Kill._ It was at that moment that I felt the familiar sensation around my navel like a string but this time the feeling continued to spread until it was tugging at my entire body from my head to my toes.

The entire landscape became suddenly brighter and I saw most of the Empousa begin to stagger back tripping over their misshapen legs as they did so as if like they had seen Tartarus himself. The ground had begin to shake everywhere but at my feet and around Annabeth. The entire landscape seemed to be pulling the Empousa towards me as a heat I hadn't noticed before emanated from behind me. All of their eyes were wide in terror but I felt no sympathy as for some unknown reason I thrust my hand forward and felt the tug on my body even harder. At that moment he entire landscape in my view was engulfed in liquid fire except for myself, Annabeth, and Kelly.

"HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS!" Kelly yelled over the rumbling of the ground and the crackling of the liquid fire. I looked at her face and saw the kind of fear only experience by a prey before it is devoured by the predator.

I began to walk towards Kelly and the burning liquid parted around me creating a path directly towards her. Falling down she began to crawl backwards until she couldn't any longer because of the wall of fire. After being so confident only a few seconds earlier she let out a terrified screech knowing that she was going to die. As she started to open her mouth I uncapped Riptide and she turned silent.

Opening her mouth again she began to speak. "Please just let me go. I didn't kill her please, please, please, please…" As she continued her voice faded until she was just mouthing the words to herself.

I stood over her with Riptide at my side and my vision permanently tinted red. "This is all your fault." I whispered in her ear as I leaned down to her. "And now you're going to pay."

"Ple-" I heard her begin right before I stabbed Riptide through her gut and up through her mouth. With that I thrust her back into the fiery liquid and pulled Riptide free.

I stood back up and began to walk back towards Annabeth. After taking a few steps I realized how tired I was and began to drop to a kneel. _No._ I told myself in my head. _If you're going to die then die next to her._ And with that I stood up and stumbled the last few steps to her side and collapsed.

The last thing I remember was a feeling of emptiness gather in my entire body right before I was surrounded by an almost cold feeling that flowed beck over me as I hugged Annabeth to my chest.

 **I hope you liked this chapter even with the new POV. Please do review or comment or whatever because I do want to know how I'm doing. See you later!**


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